Page 45 of Goddess of Mayhem

“You look like you got your ass beat,” Lion grumbles. “I got it from here, O, thanks.”

He doesn’t wait for Oren to respond and takes over the task of getting me to my room.

I giggle. “My pussy maybe.”

Lion groans and I laugh in his arms again, finding it funnier than I should, perhaps Liam fucked the rest of my sanity out of me.

“Where’s Akila?” I ask, burying myself in Lion’s arms to try to syphon his body heat into mine, biting on my lip to keep from laughing.

“With Mama,” he clips. “Had a meeting with Uncle Nate, then I got pulled into some business talk afterward.”

There’s something hidden there, more he’s not telling me. I can tell by his tone, and I choose to ignore it not wanting to believe Lion would keep things from me too.

We don’t talk anymore until we reach my room, and he shuts the door behind him with his foot, carrying me over to my bed and dropping me down.

“I hit him,” Lion says, pulling the throw blanket around me that was draped on my bed. I tug it into me, furrowing my brows. He runs a hand down his face and sighs. “Your cop, I hit him. Probably would’ve shot the fucker too, but Uncle Nate and Papa got in between us.”

Ah, I remember the mark on Liam’s face. If it’d had been anyone else admitting that to me, I’d probably have a dead body on my bedroom floor. I remain silent and watch him pace.

“Was it Caine?” Lion stops and turns to me.

I tilt my head to the side. “What?”

“Heard Byrne was stabbed, that’s when I came to find you.” He scoffs. “Finding you covered in scratches, blood, and shivering in Oren’s arms makes me think he did this.”

I bark out a laugh, Lion gives me a disapproving look that saysbe serious for once.

“He didn’t try to rape me if that’s what you’re thinking.” I shake my head. “He kissed me and then I stabbed him in the shoulder. Liam put his gun in Caine’s mouth, Caine left to lick his wounds and stroke his ego back up, and then Liam hung me off the ledge and fucked me until I was seeing stars and a puddle at his feet.”

Lion’s face scrunches up in disgust and I smile. He rolls his eyes, but his shoulders slump slightly when I confirm that I’m okay.

“Go get Akila and go back to the hotel, Lion. I’m fine.”

He watches for me a moment, searching my face for the lie. I can see in his eyes that he wants to call my bluff since it was him picking up the pieces for last few weeks because of Liam. I pin him with a look, and he scoffs then relents before trying to argue.

Lion walks over to me and presses his lips softly on my forehead. “Call me immediately if something happens, Malia.”

“You got it, Big Rig.”

He steps back and glares at me through slits then cracks a smile. “My door is always open.”

“Always has been.”

“Would you just—”

I tilt my head, waiting for him to continue. I know he wants to tear into me for fucking Liam after everything. He groans as he often does when we banter, stalks across the room to my bedroom door, and pauses.

“Be careful, Malia,” is all he says before he walks out of my room and shuts the door behind him, leaving me alone.

IT’S BEEN AN HOUR since Lion dropped me in my room and left. I showered to defrost my frozen body and changed my clothes. The scratches on my back are nothing of concern, I’ve had worse injuries during my sexcapades over the years.

A crash sounds from the lounge room and I slow my walking. I had wanted to get a drink in peace, but it doesn’t seem like that will be the case. I pull my gun from my waistband and walk into the lounge, coming to a sudden stop when I see my brother dry humping Hazel against the bar.

I silently gag, raise my weapon, and shoot the ceiling above them. Drywall shatters around them as Hazel screams and Donovan turns with his own gun raised. He lowers it when he registers who fired a shot and I quirked an eyebrow.

“Fuck!” Donovan curses as Hazel scatters to right her dress.

They’re both still in their ball attire, breathing heavily, and Hazel’s tanned skin is flushed. I tuck my weapon away and cross my arms. I’ve known they’ve been fucking around for forever; they’ve just never wanted to come out about it. I’m not sure if that has to do with me or my mother. Probably the former.

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